The present invention relates to the inexpensive, but durable, banner displays for use outdoors and, more particularly for use in fast food restaurants; automotive filling stations; and the like.
The present invention is particularly well-suited for displaying promotional advertising banners for automotive filling stations where it is desired that unskilled employees be able to mount and change the banners with minimal time and effort. Typically, banner displays consist of flexible cloth or plastic banners approximately 3 feet by 12 feet which convey messages of prices and special offers. These displays are mounted on support structures such as a poles or sides of buildings.
Known in the art is U.S. Pat. No. 3,824,724 by Miller et al. which discloses a banner display consisting of a flexible banner supported by rigid tubes at opposite ends of the banner which are inserted through tubular hems formed at the ends of the banner. The center of the hem at each end is removed such that mounting hardware may contact the rigid tubes directly. One rigid tube is placed in the hook of a first mounting bracket which is rigidly attached to a support structure. The other rigid tube is placed in the hook of a second mounting bracket which is attached to the support structure via a spring apparatus. The second mounting bracket moves only parallel to the plane of the banner. To mount the banner, the spring apparatus or the banner, or both, must be stretched. The tension of the spring apparatus pulls the banner taut against the first mounting bracket. The spring force necessary to maintain banner displays of this type can be considerable such that other tools may be required to stretch the spring.
While the prior art device allows banners to be changed without removing all of the mounting hardware, it can be difficult to operate because the step of stretching the banner and/or spring apparatus can require additional tools and/or manpower. The device of the present invention aids in the final step of mounting the banner by employing a spring apparatus which gives the assembler a mechanical advantage in mounting the banner and thus avoids the need for special tools and/or extra manpower.